France---well, almost

I have just about 4 days before I depart for France.

Honestly, I haven't made a lot of time for myself to think and plan and all that. I mean, I made probably 10 To-Do lists. I've counseled my University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) packets an innumerable amount of times. There doesn't seem to be much more to do, yet I feel incredibly anxious and unsure and to be honest, a little scared. Obviously these are all normal and even natural feelings. Of course adjustment to another lifestyle, language and set of people to hang out with will be most likely trial and error. But, I imagine all will work itself out.

One thing that I touched on briefly while chatting with someone about my extended out-of-country experience, was the possibility for things like illness and death and all of that. It freaks me out to think of what could happen. Brian said that as far as that's concerned I shouldn't be with it. He's right, because it is true that even if I were in Iowa I'd have to come home. The only difference is a pricey plane ticket. Everything else will hurt just the same.

Anyway, there are certainly a zillion things I'm looking forward to. Examples:

1. French Cuisine
2. French Couture
3. French Culture
4. French Language
5. Travel & Adventures!
6. New people

Right now I'm just thinking about how much I already miss my friends who have returned to school without me. Plus, I think that working at my father's office has brought on a little boredom with life in Lake Forest. Not that it was ever that arresting.

On a completely unrelated note, I want a new computer. Mine is no good. However, this far I do not have the proper finances to afford the MacBook Pro. It'll have to wait as I'm planning to spend my cash abroad.

If any of you don't already have my mailing address feel free to shoot one my way.

Brigid Marshall
C/O Robina Müller
Bureau 136 Faculté des Lettres
Université de Pau
64000 Pau, FRANCE

Au revoir mes amies.

Recaps

After what was probably the strangest weekend full of shady memories and questionable events I'm almost, almost glad I have a 9-5 job today. I mean, of course, not really.

Wait, let's recap: my lovely friend Rebecca needed a couple of those after last Tuesday's downtown 21st birthday fest. In adorable Goldstein fashion Ms. Rebes-ee felt it a necessary action to love tap (or just smack) her three friends (Kerst, Kate and myself) with the tupperwear cap her mother had given her for the much coveted chococate cake. Obviously Rebecca left it on the train...but not before her lovely dance moves took on the Chicago Union Pacific Metra train and all of the passengers in car 3. It was a night to remember.

"So, [insert Chicago Cab driver name], who are you voting for in '08?"

Rebes is voting for Obama, in case you were curious.

She wasn't the only one with interesting stories following the first full week of August.

From Teddy O'Brian's to a night of white wine and Nickel Creek, plus Amy's amazing return home from Philly, I felt good about where my friendships have gone since I first started making them.

I can guarantee that if you were there to witness the magic of last weekend in particular, you were a lucky one.

Recaps are still necessary.

Newport Coffee, anyone?

Post Consumer Consuming

What's a post consumer product? I feel as if it has something to do with saving the environment, but if you buy a post consumer product what does that make you? See what I mean? The marketing just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

On top of that debacle I am hungry.